Empty Handed
by That Twisted Fairytale
Summary: Songfic, Zuko thinks a little bit about what the Firenation and what Aang are doing to affect everything. r


**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, or the song 'Empty Handed' Michelle Branch does

* * *

**

Empty Handed

Zuko growled angrily, picking himself up off the ground. Once again, he had been defeated by the Avatar! His uncle ran over to him, clearly he was worried. Basically he was the only one who was, as he had attacked the Avatar in the middle of a small Earthkingdom town. Not exactly the smartest thing to do since the majority of the world hated the Firenation; and yet that was how it usually ended up.

"Are you ok Zuko?" Iroh asked, concerned.

"I'm fine!" Zuko said a little more rudely than he wanted to "I'm going to go take a walk…" He grumbled.

**Here I am take me  
It's easier to give in**

Just as he started to walk away he saw his uncle exchange puzzled looks with a soldier.

**Some people mistake me  
They only hear what they want to hear  
**

He angrily left the village, barely noticing people passing by.

**If you're losing sleep  
Forgive me  
I just can't keep pretending  
**

He stopped as he noticed a girl not younger than 10 running to her mother.

**I'm packing my bags 'cause I don't wanna be  
The only one who's drowning in their misery  
And I'll take that chance 'cause I just wanna breathe  
And I won't look back and wonder how it's supposed to be  
How it's supposed to be  
**

"Mommy! Did you see the Avatar? He was really here!" The little girl squealed excitedly.

Her mother smiled and picked up her young daughter "I'm glad he's back too, the war'll be over soon now and we won't have to worry about the Firenation."

When the mother said that, Zuko felt a small pang of guilt. He quickly shook his head to get rid of the feeling.

**There's a prism by the window  
It lets the light leak in**

He quickly left the village, entering a forest, half running. Why he was running, he wasn't entirely sure.

**I wish you would let me  
You feel the water but do you swim?**

He slipped on a wet rock by a small stream.

**And it's only me empty-handed  
With a childish grin and a camera**

He sat up, taking a closer look at the water. Looking into the water he saw black dust on the bottom of the riverbed. They were ashes. He looked around him, and sure enough, past a grove of trees was a small Firenation camp.

He stood up walking a little faster, farther into the forest. He stopped abruptly and stared at what he was in front of him.

**I'm packing my bags 'cause I don't wanna be  
The only one who's drowning in their misery  
And I'll take that chance 'cause I just wanna breathe  
And I won't look back and wonder how it's supposed to be  
How it's supposed to be  
**

In front of him was miles of dead, burned down trees. Once more he felt a pang of guilt. The ground around him turned darker as a shadow past above him. He looked upward; passing over him was the Avatar's bison. And on the bison were the Avatar and his friends staring down at him, as shocked as he was. And for the first time since he had been banished, he didn't want to capture the Avatar.

"The Avatar really is helping us," He thought as they disappeared behind the clouds "Is my father who's responsible for all this? Then why am I helping him?"

He started running back the way he came as a drop of rain fell.

**I'm packing my bags 'cause I don't wanna be**

The rain started falling harder, as he passed the stream where the water was slowly rising.

**The only one who's drowning in their misery**

He passed the small village where now, most of the villagers where inside their houses.

**And I'll take that chance 'cause I just wanna breathe  
**

He approached his ship, soaking wet, and cold.

**And I won't look back and wonder how it's supposed to be**

He slowed down and walked up the ramp to the ship, where his uncle was waiting for him.

**How it's supposed to be**

"Zuko, are you ok?" His uncle asked for the second time that day.

**'Cause I'm packing my bags**

Zuko nodded, and gave a very small smile.

"You missed it," His uncle told him "the Avatar passed by again…" He added in an undertone, hoping that his nephew wouldn't lose his temper.

To Iroh's surprise, Zuko shrugged and said "Oh well, nothing new there." And with that Zuko went inside the ship.

**And I won't be back**

**

* * *

A/N: Aloha! Hmmm... I just noticed that both of my songfics are songs by Michelle Branch... If the ending kinda stunk, it was because I was in a pretty bad mood when I wrote it... so other then that r&r!**


End file.
